The Supreme Court verdict on Ram temple at Ayodhya has developed fissures among Muslims, triggering a debate on what to do with the five acres of land that the apex court has directed the government to provide to UP Sunni Waqf Board for construction of a mosque.
Some Muslim outfits and clerics suggest that Muslims should not accept the land, while others feel that the Sunni Waqf Board should not take the land free of cost and pay for it. A third section advocates building of educational institutions like College of Islamic Studies or even a library on this land.
The UP Sunni Waqf Board has announced that it would accept the government land while chairman of UP Shia Waqf Board has declared a donation of Rs 51,000 for the construction of Ram temple, but a final decision will be taken at a meeting of All-India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) in Lucknow on Sunday.
Different Muslim outfits have come up with there own take and suggestions on the issue.
Ittehad-e-Millat Council (IMC) said, “We honour the Apex court’s order but a mosque cannot be built on donated land. The Sunni Waqf Board must pay for the land before building a mosque because a mosque can only be built on a property whose ownership vests with it.
On the other hand, All-India Muslim Personal Law Board has convened a meeting at Nadwatul Ulema in Lucknow on Sunday to take a call on whether to file a review petition against the Ayodhya verdict in Supreme Court.
The AIMPLB said that it would decide whether to accept the land or not. While some members felt that Muslims should not accept the land, others said that AIMPLB should file a review petition in the apex court.
Maulana Arshad Madani of Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind (JuH) said that the Sunni Waqf Board should not accept the five-acre plot. “We are of the view that Sunni Waqf Board should not accept the land. If we need to build a mosque at Ayodhya, we will build it from our own resources,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chowk Jama Masjid’s mutawalli (caretaker) Colonel (Retired) Sayyad Abrar said that there could be no better verdict on the issue than the one pronounced by the Supreme Court. “Muslims should accept the land and propose the construction of a library where books on all religions are available for study. This will benefit people from all communities,” he said.
Syed Hasan Raza Zaidi, Imam-e-Juma, said that since the apex court verdict mentioned five acres of land for a mosque, the order should be respected and only a mosque should be constructed on the land.
“The court is specific in its order and we should honour the order,” he said.
President of Dara Shikoh Foundation (Aligarh), Aamir Rasheed wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him that the mosque to be built at Ayodhya be named after Mughal Prince Dara Shikoh, who was a champion of secular values.
“Both Hindus and Muslims have welcomed the Supreme Court verdict. To strengthen unity among the communities, the mosque should be named after Dara Shikoh, who translated 50 Upanishads from Sanskrit into Persian and had great respect for Sikh gurus. The trust entrusted with construction of mosque should have representatives of all sects of Muslims,” Rasheed said.
“ If Muslim Personal Law Board or Sunni Waqf Board declines the land, then our foundation is ready to take the responsibility,” he said.
Uttar Pradesh Aman Committee chairman Munawwar Ali said that the land for a mosque needs to be purchased or could be acquired by donations. “As such, if land is allocated by the government in compliance with Supreme Court directive, the same can be utilised for a social cause. A hospital or garden can come up there,” Ali said.
